Jun 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Mercedes driver George Russell (63) winner of the F1 Canadian Grand Prix walks away with his trophy at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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George Russell Contract Rumors- Is George Russell Returning to Mercedes for 2026?

Is George Russell's seat at Mercedes secure for 2026?

George Russell one of his best Formula 1 weekends in Canada in 2025. Russell took his first win of the season at the 2025 Canadian GP. The 2025 season is starting out to be quite strong for George Russell. The Briton has been winning podiums since first race. The 2025 season is also his best start to a Formula 1 season since his debut.

The entire weekend in Canada was defined by Russell’s domination of the track in his Mercedes. He took pole on Saturday, converting it into a win on Sunday. However, there’s a key factor to note for the 2026 season. George Russell is the only star driver on the current grid without a 2026 seat. Neither Mercedes nor Russell have made any moves yet regarding the same. But, will George Russell’s recent help him get back to Mercedes? Here’s how the situation is playing out currently.

George Russell and Toto Wolff Give Their Views on 2026 Contract

During the post-race questions, the reporters asked George Russell regarding his contract. George Russell was pretty laid back and complacent about the situation. He straight up refused to bring it up to his concern. George is more focused on his chances in the driver’s championship rather than contract negotiations.

When asked about his current team, Russell replied-

“No. I’m not talking with anybody else and any teams who have shown interest, I have been quite open to say my intentions are to stay with Mercedes. That’s always been clear. And I am loyal to Mercedes. They gave me this chance to get into Formula 1. “

Contract negotiations in F1 now include the threat of creating a Bottass calendar 😂

George Russell jokes he'll have to explore alternate career paths if he doesn't have a contract for next season: pic.twitter.com/tCbQfFCTDX
— The Race (@wearetherace) June 17, 2025

There are also many rumors revolving around Max Verstappen switching to Mercedes. But Russell is not concerned regarding the same. He recognised Verstappen’s chances are better than any other driver but he thinks that as long as he is fullfiling his role, his seat won’t come under threat at Mercedes.

Furthermore, George Russell also put emphasis on the fact that the current driver pairing is working quite well for Mercedes. The Briton thinks that there will be no significant changes to the driber roster as they are performing well together.

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.